Today in the 1770s: February 3

WILLIAMSBURG, February 3, 1776.
SIX white men and four negroes, last week, landed near to Mr. Narsworthy's, in Isle of Wight county, in order to carry off some sheep which they knew were on the plantation, and likewise to seize Mr. Narsworthy, for whose ransome they expected a large quantity of stock. A negro man, who happened to be in the yard, discovering a negro dressed in the uniform of the 14th regiment, immediately went and informed his master that some of the Governor's men were landed; he dispatched the negro to a guard who were stationed at a small distance; they pursued them, took the negro in uniform, and drove the others into their boat without any stock.

About this entry:

Dunmore's men were raiding plantations in the Tidewater. Isle of Wight County is south of the James River. Dunmore had promised freedom to slaves who left their rebellious owners to serve in his "Royal Regiment of Ethiopians". This unnamed negro soldier was probably returned to his owner and punished.

About

Intended to provide a glimpse into the breadth of subject matter in the Gazette, excerpts from the 18th-century Virginia Gazette have been chosen for every day of the year and annotated by staff of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library.

Each entry reflects an event that
happened on a particular day (or something published on a particular day).